In the world of Human Resources, professional development, networking and relationship-building are not just nice-to-have; they are must-haves. Luckily, conference attendance is a solid way to maintain these critical components. With the workforce and workplace changing rapidly, regular conference attendance informs attendees about the latest trends and best practices, which are critical for career growth. Attending the right conferences also affords busy HR professionals an opportunity to accumulate educational credits to maintain their certifications. From learning to networking to sharing what life is like on the "front lines," being around other HR professionals is invaluable.

Recruitment data's importance is continuing to grow for strategic workforce planning, specifically when considering the growing number of young workers joining the labor pool. With millennials becoming the majority of today’s applicants, and expected to make up 75 percent of the workforce by 2025, it’s clear that businesses need to attract young talent to survive. The key to bringing them in is to use hiring data insights to design an excellent candidate experience; which, for younger applicants, means an optimized mobile portal and social media-linked application processes and an authentic employer brand to pull it all together.

In today's workplace, employees are building personal brands that just may be attracting other employers - and that's okay. Our guest, Roger Panetta, and his organization, Nimble at Work, builds careers, workplaces and businesses using performance and positioning. It's important for people to stand out, and whether they are blogging, using social media or other venues, writing is a key way to share your own voice. Join us to learn more about how to be nimble in the workplace, perform at your best, and empower others to do the same.

Growth is happening on the global front at a dizzying pace, even in the current economy. Companies are expanding into or within regions where they need to build their workforce quickly and efficiently. Often, that means moving talent to the place it’s most needed, and this must happen at a time when competition for skills is highest. Companies that focus on mobility as part of their talent strategy will see the most growth, performance, leadership development and retention. Join us to learn about: - How to build a comprehensive, future-focused talent strategy - The changing needs of employees with GenZ and Millennials poised for breakout influence and leadership - New iterations of communication, technology and tools - Offering employees choices, including customization, global experiences, and dynamic career path possibilities  

Encouraging emotional connections between managers and employees is the key to better performance and improved employee engagement. Join us as we discuss leadership and the seven principles of Heart-Centered Leadership with co-author Susan Steinbrecher. Heart-Centered Leadership is centered on the concept that ethical leadership must start from within; it's based on seven principles that promote trust, authenticity, caring and transparency.

The recruitment process has become increasingly impersonal – for both candidates and recruiters – and it’s obvious both sides aren’t satisfied with the experience. The challenge? Each side has very different ideas about what makes the other side tick – and what needs to be done to improve the experience. At its surface, finding a job or a new employee is a high-touch, personal, and interactive process – much like dating. And akin to the dating world, overcomplicating an interaction between two parties is not always the most effective approach to make a successful match. In fact, simplification is really where connections between candidates and employers begin to happen. After all, employers and candidates are both on the search for the perfect match. With our special guest Rebecca Macek, director of recruitment at CareerBuilder, we will discuss simple but effective tactics any business can use to get back to the best recruiting basics.

The changing landscape of business requires a more relational leadership style. Why? Because the traditional world of work that existed in the past - dictatorial, autocratic, etc. - is no longer an option for optimal productivity from followers. Join our guest, author and former New England Patriots linebacker Dr. Jason Carthen, to discuss exemplary leadership and its positive impact on the workplace.

When undertaking any real and permanent transformation, leaders should take the time understand the organization’s own workplace culture - who they really are, how they really work, and how employees really experience it all. Join us as our guest Charlie Judy helps us understand how to stop trying to become the organization everyone else says you should be, and start taking pride in and making the most of the organization you already are. We will discuss: Understanding your cultureAligning culture with true successHow to OWN it – the good, bad and the uglyDiscovering and understanding culture at an intimate and authentic level

Employee engagement is all the buzz, and rightfully so. When employees are engaged, they adopt the vision, values and purpose of the organization where they work. Engaged employees are passionate contributors, innovative problem solvers, and stunning colleagues. Plus, high-performing employees want to work in places like that and smart employers want to cultivate that kind of environment. Join us as guest Leila Zayed and host Meghan M. Biro address the importance of employee engagement and some practical ways to measure it in an organization.

There are a number of hot issues, new developments and emerging challenges that will likely catch employers by storm in 2016. Supreme Court decisions, federal and state laws, and actions by federal regulatory agencies have called into question the very nature of the employer-employee relationship as well as what rights and benefits employees should be entitled to in the workplace. From providing paid sick leave and equal employment, to extending equal rights and benefits to same-sex partners and accommodating pregnant women, an employer must comply with new obligations that may require altering business operations. Join us as our guest Beth Zoller (@BethZoller1) and host Meghan M. Biro discuss a variety of topics you'll want to know to avoid fines, penalties, complaints, litigation or harm to the organization's reputation. This #WorkTrends conversation will help employers and HR professionals be proactive and prepare to respond to changes in a meaningful way.

Author and keynote speaker Ben Fanning (@BenFanning1) will join us to reveal how to turn your current job into one you love....and keep the 401k and insurance. If you give yourself permission to love your work, you create a space for exploration and possibility. During this #WorkTrends, we will dive into how to slightly modify your work to play more to your strengths. Instead of fantasizing about finding the perfect job, we will discuss how to go create it. Whether you are on the hiring, firing or potentially quitting side of the equation, this conversation will resonate with you. Thank you to all the TalentCulture sponsors, partners and supporters!

There are a wide variety of benefits to well-designed and executed mentoring relationships in the workplace. However, they are starting to disappear. During this #WorkTrends, we will discuss the risks and rewards of mentoring, identify reasons why mentoring is disappearing, and how to reintroduce these important business relationships. Along with our knowledgeable guests Jonathan Segal (@Jonathan_HR_Law) and Sue Meisinger (@suemeisinger), we will uncover: 1. What mentoring is and isn’t 2. The importance of mentoring to the overall business 3. How to maximize the value of cross-gender mentoring and minimize the potential legal risks Thank you to all the TalentCulture sponsors, partners and supporters!

Every day, unconscious biases influence hiring decisions. This issue undercuts the culture and success of many companies, from start-ups to Fortune 500s. According to our guest, author and coach Gail Tolstoi-Miller (@gailtolstoimill), companies must build awareness of the bias that takes place in the hiring process and take action. She will share why organizations should implement formal training for people in decision-making functions, and how to combat and diminish bias throughout the hiring process.  

In a tight labor market with high demand for top talent, speed is critical to landing the best possible talent. According to our guest, Kurt Jones (@kurtjones9900) with PeopleFluent, recruiting leaders need to focus on all of the areas in their control to make sure their teams are performing at peak productivity and with a constant sense of urgency.   Guest host Cyndy Trivella and Kurt will discuss: How much wasted time costs an organizationWhy speed and productivity should be top priorities for recruitersHow to capitalize on technology to keep talent pools fresh and accessibleHow speed positively impacts the Candidate Experience Join us Wednesday, March 9 at 1pm ET for a live podcast; at 1:30pm ET, our interactive Twitter Chat continues. Don't forget to use the #WorkTrends hashtag - see you there. 

#WorkTrends welcomes Mike Lewis, author of "When to Jump", to discuss both sides of jumping, whether it's time to leave a job to pursue dreams or if you need to retain top talent. We will discuss: How to retain top talent from “jumping”Why top talent (particularly millennials) jump today more than ever beforeCurrent trends in corporate environments to best retain the talentHow to explore internal jumpsWhen to jump Come learn about the changing perceptions of career pathing and how to encourage jumps that satisfy employees while preventing talent attrition. And you may just leave the show thinking, "It's my time to jump!"

During this #WorkTrends event, we will discuss the superpowers of leaders, briefly touching on the powers of: AccountabilityConvictionPersuasion, andCollaboration. We will also discuss: The ingredients of an effective leader;How superheroes can make you a better leader; andThe use of pop culture to enhance talent management initiatives.  David Kahn, Ph.D. is the author of "Cape, Spandex, Briefcase: Leadership Lessons from Superheroes.” He is an experienced researcher and practitioner in leadership and has been speaking and consulting on the principles of company culture, management, organizational behavior and business strategies for almost 20 years. David also writes for leadersayswhat.com where he makes leadership theories and research accessible by adding a twist of pop culture.

While we have been led to believe that we can separate our personal and work personas, we are only one person. We don’t need to have this separation and balancing act in our lives. For many, work has become how we define ourselves and why we need balance is because many of us no longer have a life outside of their work. We can buy into the work-life balance mythology or we can change the story and realize there is only life; no blending or integrating required. We need to become whole as people by figuring out what role work plays in our lives and our own relationship with money and power. Many people of all ages no longer want to live someone else’s stories and are picking themselves instead of waiting to be picked for a job or a promotion.   LIFEworking is an approach that meshes life and work into an integrated existence, but most importantly, it is a way of living in which the individual and not the organization defines the meaning of success. To achieve LIFEworking, we need to first understand what success really means for us, and then systematically address the fears that stand in the way of change. These fears typically relate to personal anxiety and the social consequences of choice. We will discuss these topics and more during this very introspective #WorkTrends event.

Destructive management has been percolating in organizations for some time. Its adverse affects have become commonplace and too little is being done about it. Our guest, Shawn Murphy, will discuss his debut book, The Optimistic Workplace, which defines the symptoms and many antidotes to overcome destructive management; he will also share why and how to move towards building an optimistic workplace.  Shawn Murphy is an author, keynote speaker, and the CEO/Founder of the consultancy Switch + Shift. Connect with Shawn on Twitter @TheShawnMurphy and read his weekly Inc.com column, “Positive Business.”

The TalentCulture #TChat Show is back live on Wednesday, February 3, 2016, from 1-2 pm ET (10-11 am PT). Last week we talked about how HR leaders achieve talent brand dominance, and this week we’re going to talk about how to manage through influence. Organizations are becoming more matrixed and less hierarchical every day. Command-and-control corporate structures are relics of the past.  Like most managers today, dealing with flatter organizational structures, outsourcing, and virtual teams are all quite challenging. Because of this, more and more managers need to get things done through their peers inside and outside their organizations.  However, because the world of work has gotten so complex, the very act of change has grown increasingly difficult. Today’s flatter organizations actually give employees and managers much more flexibility in deciding how work gets done, but they also require greater levels of collaboration than ever before. This means that success is often dependent on persuading other individuals and teams to support your projects, even if they’re not direct reports.  This skill is called “managing through influence” and is as critical to success in today’s world as a sterling resume or a tireless work ethic.  Join TalentCulture #TChat Show co-founders and co-hosts Meghan M. Biro and Kevin W. Grossman as they talk about how to manage through influence with this week’s guest: Jim Fields, Vice President of Customer Experience Marketing at SAP, a multinational software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. Thank you to all the TalentCulture sponsors, partners and supporters!

The TalentCulture #TChat Show is back live in the New Year on Wednesday, January 27, 2016, from 1-2 pm ET (10-11 am PT). Last week we talked about how tech pros can help assess and hire tech pros, and this week we’re going to talk about how HR leaders achieve talent brand dominance. Employers are obviously constantly aware of the state of their company brand. But very few organizations realize the impact of their talent brand on both their reputation to job seekers and company morale amongst existing employees.  A talent brand is what talent (which comprises both working and non-working Joes) thinks, feels, and shares about your company as a place to work. Contrary to what employers believe, according to this week’s guest, less than 30 percent of the working population cares about their company’s product brand. What they are concerned with is how employers approach caring for their people and addressing their needs. Most hiring authorities aren’t coming to terms to deal with the reality that their talented employees have options.  Join TalentCulture #TChat Show co-founders and co-hosts Meghan M. Biro and Kevin W. Grossman as they talk about how HR leaders achieve talent brand dominance with this week’s guest: Joan Graci, CEO and President of APA Solutions, a boutique employment and human capital consulting firm. Thank you to all the TalentCulture sponsors, partners and supporters!

The TalentCulture #TChat Show is back live in the New Year on Wednesday, January 20, 2016, from 1-2 pm ET (10-11 am PT). Last week we talked about why the best recruitment means smarter workforce marketing, and this week we’re going to talk about how tech pros can help assess and hire tech pros. In the world of recruiting, experts are a little more difficult to define. The exception to this rule is, of course, the field of technology. The tech field is based on those that have real-world developed sought-after skills. True technical expertise is difficult to find, even as it is increasingly needed in today’s rich digital economy. With companies increasingly relying on their employee’s technical acumen it has become more important than ever to make quick, accurate hiring decisions.  Studies have shown that the cost of a bad hire can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. The cost of onboarding and training an employee that turns out not to have the technical skill level needed to complete their job, is not only disheartening, but it costs valuable resources. That’s why you need seasoned technical experts to help you hire your tech pros today. Join TalentCulture #TChat Show co-founders and co-hosts Meghan M. Biro and Kevin W. Grossman as they talk about how tech pros can help assess and hire tech pros with this week’s guest: Kevin Rooney, CEO of Expert Interview, a service that assesses technical skills resulting in better-informed hiring decisions. Thank you to all the TalentCulture sponsors, partners and supporters!

The TalentCulture #TChat Show is back live in the New Year on Wednesday, January 13, 2016, from 1-2 pm ET (10-11 am PT). Last week we talked about how to create the ultimate hiring experience, and this week we’re going to talk about why the best recruitment means smarter workforce marketing. Today’s hiring economy is highly complex and competitive and finding top talent is harder than ever. If fact, attracting candidates and retaining current employees is a lot like attracting and retaining customers. Candidates want to be valued and have an engaging and transparent experience and how you treat them has a direct impact on your brand. In today’s digital age, where people share experiences online, a poor candidate experience can be bad for business and translate to millions in lost revenue annually.  The fact is we are all job seekers and perpetual candidates, even if we’re currently happily employed. And candidates are the hiring organization’s to lose before they even think about applying for a job.  Today both employers and candidates alike are responsible for creating and marketing their brands — which can give both a symbiotic and differentiating competitive edge. Join TalentCulture #TChat Show co-founders and co-hosts Meghan M. Biro and Kevin W. Grossman as they talk about why the best recruitment means smarter workforce marketing with this week’s guest: Abby Euler, Talent Acquisition Evangelist at IBM Smarter Workforce. Thank you to all the TalentCulture sponsors, partners and supporters!

The TalentCulture #TChat Show is back live in the New Year on Wednesday, January 6, 2016, from 1-2 pm ET (10-11 am PT). In the last show of 2015, we talked about the power of relationships from the bedroom to the boardroom, and this week we’re going to talk about how to create the ultimate hiring experience. While still figuring out what he wanted to do with his life, writer and film maker Heath Padgett quit his software sales job and convinced his new bride to hit the road on their honeymoon in 2014 and work a different job in all 50 U.S. states.  They called their quest Hourly America and they filmed the entire thing for a documentary that will be released later this year. During his journey Heath Padgett pitched over 200 companies and experienced a myriad of hiring practices both good and bad. This included how a company that rejected him turned him into a huge fan, how one business surprised him with the best hiring experience of his life, how he used online job search techniques to find the best companies to work for — and so much more. Join TalentCulture #TChat Show co-founders and co-hosts Meghan M. Biro and Kevin W. Grossman as they talk about the power of relationships from the bedroom to the boardroom with this week’s guest: Heath Padgett, a writer and film maker who left his job in software sales to pursue a more adventurous career. Thank you to all the TalentCulture sponsors, partners and supporters!